Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-20

by the screen, rising TO his feet in haste.
Next moment was face 10 face with
two men. One, handsome elderly
gentleman, who wore gray moustaches,
and would have seemed IN place ct q
service club, was still in his chair re-
earding me with a perfectly calm, un-
moved face, as " my entrance at that
hour were the commonest incident OF
his life. The other had risen and stood
looking at me askance. He was five
and-twenty years younger than his
companion, and rs good-looking
in a different way. But now his
face was white and drawn, distorted by
the same expression of terror-aye, and
q darker end fercer terror than that
which had already seen upon the SER
wants features it was the face OF one
/ in n desperate strait. He looked as
man looks who has put all he has in the
world upon an outsider and done 1t
twice. In that quiet drawing-room by
the side Of his placid companion, with
nothing whatever in their surroundings
10 account for his emotions, his panic
stricken face shOckedme inexpressibly.
They were in evening dress, and be-
/ tween them wasa chess-table, its men
in disorder almost touching this was
another small table bearing a tray OF
Arollinaris water and spirits. On this
the Young man was resting one hand as
if hut for it's support he would have
fallen.
To add one more fact, | had never
seen either of them in my life.
Or wait could that be true? If so,
it must be indeed nightmare ! was
suffering. For the elder man broke
the silence by addressing me in a quiet
ordinary tone that exactly matched his
face. "Sit down, George" he said,
don't stand there. | did not expect
YOU this evening He held out his
hand. without rising from the chair,
and advanced and shook it in silence.
Il thought you were in Liverpool.
How are YOU, he continued.
Every well, l thank you," l NUT
tered mechanically.
Not very well, l should say" he
retorted. "You are as hoarse as a
raven. You have bad cold at best. 1t
is nothing worse, my boy, is it? with
anxiety.
"No, 2 throat cough nothing else"
I murmured, resigning myself to this
astonishingreception-this evident CON
cern for my welfare on the part OF q
man whom / had never seen IN my
life.
THAT is well, !" he answered cheeri-
". Not only did my presence cause
i'm no surprise ; it gave him, without
doubt, actual pleasure.
1t was otherwise with his compan-
ion grimly and painfully so indeed.
! He lad made no advances to me,
sroken no word, scarcely altered his
POSITION. His eyes he had never taken
from me. Yet in him there was q
change. He had discovered, exactly
Ms had the butler before him, his mis-
take. The sickly terror was gone
from his face, and a half-frightened
malevolcnce not much more pleasant
TO witness had taken its place. Why
! tlis did not break out III any active
form was part of the general mystery
Given TO me to solve. | could onl y sur
mise from chances which he later cast
from time to time toward the door, and
from the occasional faint creaklng OF
GARD in that direction, that his self
restraint had to do with my friend the
butler. The inconsequences of dream
land ran through it all why the elder
nan remained in error ; why the
Younger with that passion ON his
lace was tongue-tied; why the great
house was 50 still; why the servant
,hould have mixed me up with this
business at all-these were questions
as unanswerable one as the other
And the fog in my mind grew denser
when the old gentleman turned from me
as if nv presence were usual thing,
and rapped the table before him impa-
tently. Now, Gerald " cried he IN
sharp tones, "havc You put those pieces
lack? Good heavens ! / am glad that L
Lave not nerves like yours Don't re-
member the squares, boy? Here, give
them to me !" With hasty gesture
Of his hand, something like mesmeric
pass over the board, he set down the
ialf dozen pieces with rapid tap tap !!
trpl which made it abundantly clear
that he, at any rate, had 10 doubt OF
their former positions.
"You will not mind sitting by until
We have finished the. game ?" he con
t,nued speaking to me, and in voice
sancied more genial than that which he
Ind used to Gerald "You are anxious
TO talk TO me about your letter,
Ceorge?" ne went on when did not
answer. "The fact is that l have not
read the enclosure. Barnes as usual
read the other letter to me, in which
Won said the matter was private and OF
c7ave importance, and intended to go
10 Laura tomorrow as you suggested,
and Get her to read the news to me.
Now vou have returned so soon, | am
clad that | did not trouble her.
"Just so, sir" said, listening with
al my ears, and wondering.
"Well, hope there is nothing very
led the matter, my boy % he replied.
However, Gerald it is yOurmoye =
tn minutes more of such play as your
gothcr's and | shall be at your SER
,'cC." -
Caald made hurried move. The
1cce ratified upon the board as II he
i. q leen playing the castanetS. lis
ether made him take it back. sal
Watching the two in wonderland silence.
v hat did it all mean? Why should
arpes-doubtltss behind the screen
Istening-read the outer letter? Why
/ ust Laura be employed to read the
n.ner? Why could not thus cultivated
and refined gentleman before me read
lis? ALI That much was disclosed
10 me. \ mere turn of the hand did IT.
Fe had made another Of those passe:
over the board, and 1 learned from II
what an ordinary examination would
rot have detected. He, the old soldier
v It'll the placid face and light blue eyes
, y as blind Quite blind
| began to see more clearly now, anc
nom this moment l took up-at any
ute in my own mind-a different posi-
ton. Possibly the servant who haC
, impelled me into the middle OF this haC
lad his own good reasons for doing so
, as now began to discern. But with
cue to the labyrinth in my hand
could no longer move passionately o.
, gny others impulse. must act To-
, myself For awhile ! sat still ant